In many regions of the world, there is a need for heating in the winter and cooling in the summer, and a vast amount of energy is consumed during both seasons for these purposes. Nature abounds with many different forms of useful energy which are ignored by man, but which could be taken advantage of during both the warm and cold seasons to aid with both heating or cooling of an environment. This advantage can be realized quite economically by the provision of a system made in accordance with the present invention which can be conveniently installed adjacent to or forming part of a structure such as a home, garage, fence, or the like.
Furthermore, the present invention can be fabricated into a packaged unit which can be trucked to the installation site where it can be readily installed without destruction or modification of existing structure.
Broadly, the preferred embodiments of the present invention comprises an insulated fluid containing vessel that extends above and below the ground level with components thereof extending from the underground portion of the vessel to provide a closed looped fluid conveying system disposed in a manner such that natural circulation is effected as heat is transferred into the fluid contained within the vessel. One wall of the above ground portion of the vessel is built in the form of a solar heat collecting unit which also employs a closed loop heat collecting and dissipating system connected in heat transfer relationship to the vessel fluid in such a manner that both the system and the tank liquid are self-circulating, thereby causing heat from the solar collection surface as well as possibly from the subterranean earth to be transferred into the fluid contained within the vessel.
The fluid contained within the vessel is self-circulating and this is accomplished by allowing the cooler fluid to flow downwardly and the warmed or warmer fluid to flow upwardly as it is heated.
It is known that the subterranean temperature in the area of four to six feet below ground level remains around 52.degree. to 57.degree. Fahrenheit for most geographical locations in the United States. Accordingly, the underground closed loop system will impart self-circulating action into the tank when the temperature of the fluid within the vessel falls below or above the subterranean temperature.
The present invention is advantageously used in combination with a heat pump type heating and cooling system where the evaporator collects heat from the fluid which is then pumped to the condenser of the heat pump.